Device for actuating a rotary sprinkler nozzle



Feb. 6, 1962 e. ZECCHINATO 3,019,992

DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A ROTARY SPRINKLER NOZZLE Filed Jan. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

.mnn gsnlilliiilll munmmlmlll INVENTOR GIUSEPPE ZECVCHINATO BY wgg ATTORNEYS 7 Feb. 6, 1962 G. ZECCHINATO DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A ROTARY SPRINKLER NOZZLE Filed Jan. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m n i H 1 INVENTOR GIUSEPPE ZECCHINATO BY (human/ ATTORNEYS 3,019,992 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 ice 3,019,592 DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A ROTARY SRRINKLER NOZZLE Giuseppe Zecehinato, Via Mazzini 6, Verona, Italy Filed Jan. 26, 196i), Ser. No. 4,651 Claims priority, application Italy Jan. 26, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 239-430) This invention relates to sprinklers used for watering and irrigation purposes, for producing artificial rain and the like. The invention is particularly concerned with a device for actuating a rotary nozzle of such sprinklers.

Some of the sprinklers known in prior art are provided with nozzles or mouth-pieces which are actuated by the jet of water or other liquid emerging from the nozzle so as to provide a rotation of the nozzle which causes a distribution of the liquid over a wide area. Some of the nozzles of this type were subjected to the action of the flow to produce a successive angular displacement of the nozzle and were connected with a spring which furthered the operation of the nozzle.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a device for actuating a rotary spring nozzle which will provide a most effective operation of the nozzle without the use of a spring or any other parts or devices connected to the nozzle.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

Hereinbelow the subject matter of the present invention will be described by way of example in three different embodiments. All of these embodiments have the common feature that the nozzle is devoid of connection with any spring or other part and that the angular movement of the nozzle is produced by a separate actuating member which is subjected to a rotary and an up and down movement upon the helical path of a member carried by or connected to the nozzle, the actuating member carrying a plate or other suitable impact member which is adapted to be located in the path of the jet emerging from the nozzle.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view partly in section of a nozzle actuating device constructed in accordance with the principles of the'present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of a somewhat ditferently constructed device, some parts being broken 01f for the purpose of clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 4 is partly a side view of and partly a section through yet another device embodying the principles of the present invention.

The device shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises a support 1 upon which the nozzle 2 is rotatably mounted. The support 1 is hollow and is used to transmit water or any other suitable irrigation liquid or fluid to the nozzle 2.

The nozzle actuating device constituting the subject matter of the present invention is indicated by the reference characters 3 to 7 in FIGURES 1 and 2 and constitutes a device which serves for building up the effect of the shock of water upon the rotary element. The device is represented in full lines at the time it receives the first impulse of the water emerging from the nozzle 2 and it is illustrated in broken lines to show the position which it occupies substantially at the end of its movement imparted by the water, said positions being indicated as I and II respectively in FIGURE 1.

The actuating device comprises a support 3 mounted upon the nozzle 2 and having outer screw threads or grooves providing a helical path for the actuating member. The helical grooves form preferably multiple courses and the central vertical axis x thereof is a continuation of the central axis of the support 1 and of the lower portion of the nozzle 2.

The actuating member comprises a snail-like portion or sleeve 4 provided with inner helical ribs engaging the helical grooves of the support 3 so that the sleeve 4 can freely move thereon. The sleeve 4 is firmly connected with two arms 5 and 6 which extend in opposite directions. The arm 5 carries an impact plate 7, the position of which can be conveniently regulated by a screw. The opposite arm 6 is weight-balanced so that its weight is substantially equal to the weight of the arm 5 and the plate 7.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The nozzle 2 is so mounted upon the supportl that it can freely and easily rotate thereon about the central vertical axis x. The threaded sleeve 4 is so mounted upon the threaded support 3 that it can easily and freely carry out a vertical helical movement thereon. In the initial position the nozzle 2 and the sleeve 4 are located as indicated by full lines and the numeral I in FIG. 2. A jet of water transmitting through the conduit and support 1 and emerging through the nozzle 2 will then strike the inclined surface AB of the impact plate 7 connected to the sleeve 4 by the arm 5. shown in FIGURE 2, this impact will cause the plate 7 with the sleeve 4 connected therewith to turn counterclockwise, namely, in the direction of the arrow 1. When the first jet of water strikes the plate 7, the counterclockwise movement of the sleeve 4 will tend to move the nozzle 2 clockwise, due to the basic law of dynamics that action equals reaction. The sleeve 4 will carry out an upwardly directed rotary movement up the support 3 until this movement is terminated. In the example illustrated, the movement is terminated at the time the sleeve 4 reaches the position II shown by broken lines in FIG. 1. Obviously, the actual location of position II depends on the force of the impact. Then it will move downwardly under the action of its own weight down the support 3 while rotating clockwise in the direction of arrow 7" until the lower surface 4' of the arm 5 engages the upper surface 2 of the nozzle 2. As shown in FIGURE 1, the upper surface 2 encloses the base of the threaded support 3. The device is so constructed that the sleeve 4 can move freely upon the support 3, so that the support 3 with the nozzle 2 will not move along with the sleeve 4. The above-mentioned tendency of the nozzle 2 to carry out a clockwise movement at the time of the initial impact will receive an additional impetus when the descending surface 4 which rotates clockwise, will frictionally engage the upper surface 2' of the nozzle 2. As the result of these forces which act clockwise, the nozzle 2 will move clockwise to the extent of the angle on from the position indicated as I and shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to the position indicated as I in FIG. 2. Then another jet of water will strike the surface A-B of the plate 7 and the procedure will be repeated, namely, the sleeve 4 will move up while rotating counterclockwise and then will move down while rotating clockwise and the nozzle 2 will again be turned clockwise by the descending sleeve 4 to the extent of the angle it until it moves to the position indicated as I in FIG. 2. The corresponding uppermost positions of the plate 7 are indicated in FIGURE 2 by the numerals II and II, respectively. Thus, by the series of successive and continuous cycles, the nozzle is caused to move each time angularly in the As is clearly.

direction of the arrow f, the angular shifting amounting to the angle a.

The above described operation can be also carried out by devices of a somewhat simpler construction. By way of example, FIGURE 3 illustrates a combined conduit and support 1 for a nozzle 12. The nozzle 12 carries a sleeve or tubular portion 13 which is firmly connected with the nozzle 12 by any suitable means. The sleeve 13 has an upper edge which is inclined at an acute angle to the vertical axis of the lower portion of the nozzle.

A cylindrical member 14 is mounted for rotation within the sleeve 13 and carries the arms 15 and 16. The cylindrical member 14 carries a pin or nipple 14' which engages the inclined surface of the upper edges of the sleeve 13.

It is apparent that a movement of 180 is obtained and that the operation is the same as that described in connection with the construction shown in FIGURES l and 2, namely, that the nozzle 12 will be shifted angularly successively to the extent of the angle a.

The same operation may be produced by the device shown in FIGURE 4 and illustrating a nozzle 22 which is mounted for rotation upon the combined conduit and support 1. The nozzle 22 carries upon its back a tubular member or sleeve 23. A cylindrical member 28 is firmly mounted within the sleeve 23 and projects upwardly beyond the upper edges of the sleeve 23 which are inclined at an acute angle to the axis of the nozzle 22 and the support 1. The member 28 carries a sleeve 24 which is mounted thereon and the inner lower edges of which are obliquely inclined to the same extent as the upper edges of the sleeve 23. The sleeve 24 is firmly connected with two arms 25 and 26 and will operate in the same manner.

It will be noted that the arms 16 and 26 are so weighted that they will balance the weight of the arms 15 and 25 and the impact plates carried by the arms 15 and 25 which have not been illustrated for the sake of simplification.

It is apparent that the examples shown herein have been given solely by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that they are subject to many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a rotary sprinkler nozzle member and means supporting said member for rotation about a vertical axis and providing a jet of sprinkling liquid thereto; means connected with said member and having a helical path formed therein and extending in the direction of said axis, an actuating member having a central portion engaging the last-mentioned means for reciprocal movement of said actuating member upon said helical path, said actuating member further having two arms firmly connected with said central portion and located on opposite sides thereof, said actuating member being movable by gravity to a lowermost position, and an impact plate carried by one of said arms and adapted to be located in the path of said jet for moving said actuating member upwardly from said lowermost position, the other arm being weight-balanced relatively to said one arm and said impact plate.

2. In combination with a rotary sprinkler nozzle and means supporting said nozzle for rotation about a vertical axis and providing a jet of sprinkling liquid to said nozzle, a vertical support mounted upon said nozzle and having outer screw threads extending in the direction of said axis, an actuating member comprising a central sleeve having inner screw threads meshing with said outer screw threads for combined rotary and up and down movement of said actuating member upon said support, said actuating member further having two arms firmly connected with said sleeve and located on opposite sides thereof, said actuating member being movable by gravity to a lowermost position wherein said sleeve engages said nozzle, and an impact plate carried by one of said arms and adapted to be located in the path of said jet for moving said actuating member upwardly from said lowermost position, the other arm being weight-balanced relatively to said one arm and said impact plate.

3. In combination with a rotary sprinkler nozzle and means supporting said nozzle for rotation about a vertical axis and providing a jet of sprinkling liquid to said nozzle, a vertical sleeve mounted upon said nozzle and having an upper edge extending at an acute angle to said axis, an actuating member comprising a central cylindrical portion partly located within said sleeve, said actuating member further having two arms firmly connected with said central cylindrical portion and located on opposite sides thereof, said actuating member being movable by gravity to a lowermost position, a nipple carried by said central cylindrical portion and engaging said upper edge, and an impact member carried by one of said arms and adapted to be located in the path of said jet for moving said actuating member.

4. In combination with a rotary sprinkler nozzle and means supporting said nozzle for rotation about a vertical axis and providing a jet of sprinkling liquid to said nozzle, a vert cal sleeve mounted upon said nozzle, a cylindrical body firmly mounted within said sleeve, said sleeve having an upper edge extending at an acute angle to said axis, said cylindrical body having a portion extending beyond said upper edge, an actuating member comprising a sleeve mounted upon said cylindrical body, said actuating member further having two arms firmly connected with said sleeve and located on opposite sides thereof, said actuating member being movable by gravity, said sleeve having an inclined lower edge engaging said upper edge, and an impact member carried by one of said arms and adapted to be located in the path of said jet for moving said actuating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,008 Buelna Aug. 20, 1940 

